Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a motor drive apparatus for driving a stepping motor and a control method therefor.
Description of the Related Art
Stepping motors have features such as small size, high torque, and long service life, and can easily realize digital positioning by open-loop control. Accordingly, stepping motors are widely used, e.g., for information household appliances, such as cameras and optical disk devices, and used for office automation equipment, such as printers and projectors.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-151298 discusses a technique to detect step-out of a stepping motor based on a change in rotation speed of the stepping motor or a change in motor current and to set a drive voltage for the stepping motor lower within such a range as not to cause the stepping motor to step out.